Atebolrwydd
by LlewellynPrince
Summary: Volume Two of the Blynedd Cronicals : The Life and Times of Umino Iruka and Uchiha Itachi. Side fic to Knock on Wood Konoha, BEWARE SPOILERS FOR KNOCK ON WOOD KONOHA. Blynedd Vol II


Beware of spoilers for Knock on Wood Konoha!

* * *

Title: Blynedd Vol. II

* * *

Rating: PG/T

* * *

Summary: The Life and Times of Umino Iruka and Uchiha Itachi

* * *

Blynedd Vol. II: The Life and Times of Umino Iruka and Uchiha Itachi

For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'

-John Greenleaf Whittier

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was one Iruka…well Iruka can't actually remember anything from when he was one…or two…or three…or four for that matter. 

It's all a blur of happy memories, laughter and joy.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was five, he started taking long walks in the forest. 

On one of those walks, he was cornered by a group of missing nin from Wave. Of which one pegged him as the brat who was always with the Hokage and thus they decided that the Hokage's godson would make a good hostage, of course they didn't count on one thing.

Iruka was, well, Iruka…

…and he put up one hell of a fight. Kicking and screaming and he was the child of ninja, godson to Sandaime, _he did damage_.

A broken nose here, a broken rib there, some screaming, a lot of blood, and a group of very surprised, very pissed off jounin ranked missing nins.

Their leader decided a good way to shut him up was pain and it worked.

When you're five and someone uses a kunai to draw a line on your face you tend to shut up.

The missing nins seemed quiet happy after that.

Until the future Yondaime and his team accidentally stumbled upon the whole thing, which was rather amusing actually.

Apparently he'd been teaching them survival techniques when they'd sensed a strange chakra; mentally Iruka did a victory dance that the missing nins hadn't picked up on his charka.

Of course Iruka didn't have a clue who they were, just that they were there and they were leaf ninja, and they were armed.

Of course the missing nins had to screw up their rescue by using Iruka as a shield.

"_Don't move or we'll kill the kid."_

_-Damn- Yondaime stopped dead, motioning for his team to do the same._

_Kakashi sent him a look, Rin gripped her kunai tightly, and Obito burst out with an 'Iruka!'_

"_Huh?" Everyone in the clearing turned to him._

"_Obito?" Yondaime glanced at him. "You know him?"_

"_He's Umino-sensei's son. I met him when they visited the head of the Uchiha clan, they both used to work with the military police."_

"_Umino-sensei's son?" Kakashi and Rin repeated. Of course they knew who Umno-sensei was, they knew who both Umino-sensei's were, everybody did. They were famous ninja, renowned for their quick thinking on the battle field and the fact that they'd retired immediately when they'd gotten pregnant with Iruka, something a lot of life long ninja weren't happy with. But Yondaime sensei and many of the other ninja were impressed with them for their love and dedication to their son, and many were envious._

_Their son was also well liked, cheerful, outgoing, honest, and kind was what everybody said._

_Yondaime frowned as he noted the freshly bleeding gash across the boy's nose and felt a surge of rage. His students might not have known, but Yondaime was well aware of the fact that Iruka was also the Hokage's adored godson and when he said adored, he _meant _adored._

_It was also well known that Umino-sensei and Umino-sensei had no intention of allowing their son near the life of a ninja._

_Which only served to piss him off more at the situation._

"_Put him down," Yondaime snarled, his student's tensing for a fight._

"_Iruka?" Obito tried to talk to the boy, calm him down._

_The boy looked up. "You're…from the Uchiha clan right? O-something?"_

"_Obito," he smiled. "It's alright, we're here to help."_

_Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's nice. Where were you an hour ago?" All bluster._

"_Ur…" Obito trailed off in surprise. Iruka didn't seem very scared._

_Kakshi noted for the first time the rather beat up state of the missing nins at the same time as the other three._

"_Wow, you did all that by yourself?" Rin asked._

"_Well, I wasn't just going to sit back and let them kidnap me…now, if you don't mind, GET ME OUTTA HERE!" Iruka yelled at the top of his lungs, kicking and struggling for all he was worth, as Yondaime and his students rushed forward in a blur of speed._

_Naturally things didn't go well, Yondaime and his students had to make sure Iruka stayed unharmed while fighting outnumbered, not good for anyone, including Konoha's Yellow Flash._

_Thankfully, they didn't have to for much longer._

_Because if there's one thing to say about ninja parents it's that they're over protective and they have great parental intuition._

_Which explained the two blurs of speed that entered the clearing less then a minute later and slaughtered every missing nin in a matter of seconds._

_If there's one lesson Konoha's Yellow Flash learned that day was that you never got between a mother and her child when said child was in danger._

_Especially if said mother was a ninja._

_Of course the female half of the Umino-sensei duo apologized for scaring the living daylights out of him and helped him up…after she'd checked on Iruka and handed him off to the male half of the duo, who was suspiciously more emotional then his wife._

_Yondaime waved it off and swore never to date a single mother._

_Kakashi and Obito swore never to have kids._

_Rin stared up at her in adoration._

Kakashi never remembered who the brown haired kid was and Iruka never remember the masked kid that helped rescue him.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was eight, Itachi was born, a small body with dark eyes and hair and rosy cherub cheeks, Iruka though he looked innocent. 

When Itachi first saw Iruka, he was a giant a head of chocolate brown hair framing curious chocolate eyes looking down at him. The first thing he did was reach for a strand of hair and pull.

Mikoto smiled and chuckled.

Fugaku smiled and shook his head, a silent show of amusement that he seemed to prefer over actual laughter.

Iruka's parent's and Sarutobi laughed.

Iruka was not impressed.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was nine, he was somehow roped into babysitting Itachi in the Hokage's office while Sarutobi, Fugaku, and Mikoto attended a meeting of Konoha clan heads. 

When Itachi was one, he spoke for the first time, calling out for the older boy who was ignoring him in favor of one of the Hokage's scrolls.

In revenge for making him baby-sit, Iruka changed all the dates in Sarutobi's schedule, looking up when he was finished to find Itachi staring at him with wide wet eyes, arms out stretched.

It was pure instinct that made him sweep the boy up into his lap to comfort him, Sarutobi used to do it with him, so did his mother and father, all the time actually, whenever they had a good excuse and even when they didn't, heck even Fugaku and Mikoto had done it once or twice when he'd been really hurt in training.

It only seemed natural to do it to Itachi.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

Fortunately, after that night Iruka didn't see Itachi again for several years.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was twelve, he lost his parents. 

And after that, nothing seemed to matter.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was thirteen he accepted the offer to train to be a hunter. He'd graduated from the academy of course, but after that he'd never had a real interest in continuing to train as a ninja…until his parents died. 

Now, he didn't have anything better to do.

Sarutobi spent as much time as possible with him, teaching him everything he knew, trying to fill the boy's unguided thirst for knowledge and attention.

But even he knew that at the moment he wasn't what the boy needed. Ironically, it wasn't hunter training that Iruka need either.

It was a young Uchiha genius with Sharingan eyes and a dark heart.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was fifteen Iruka ran into Itachi on the street, it was raining so he invited the seven year old to stay with him. 

Later, as he's waiting for Itachi to get out of the shower, Iruka wondered what on earth possessed him to invite the newly graduated boy to his house.

He knows who he is, better then Itachi probably thinks he does. Kikyo's told him, told him about the blank emotions, the genius skill, and she and Iruka actually have a bet on how long it takes for him to snap.

He turns when the door to the bathroom opens and Itachi walks out into the living room, wearing a pair of Iruka's summer pajamas.

They're two sizes too big and hanging off him, making him look even smaller then he is and Iruka has this strange urge to hug him but manages to restrain himself. It would ruin his image after all and probably get him killed.

So, suffice to say he was surprised when Itachi sat down next to him, practically attached to his side.

Iruka sighed and gave him a cup of tea, wondering if the world could get any weirder.

He was still grieving for his parents and himself, he didn't have the time or energy to take care of someone else.

When he woke up the next morning, a bad crick in his neck from sleeping on floor against the couch, Itachi was gone.

He didn't see him that day, granted he spent most of it in the Hokage's office, bugging the old man until he gave in and trained him some more.

Iruka didn't dwell on Itachi, there were other things he had to worry about. Iruka barely remembered the small boy he'd looked after for a night.

Itachi never forgot Iruka.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

Iruka didn't see Itachi for another several years. 

Itachi watched him from the shadows whenever he got the chance and learned more from the older boy then any of his many teachers could teach him about the world.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was sixteen he survived…twice. 

When Itachi was eight he activate the Sharingan fully for the first time.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was seventeen, he was a hunter's apprentice. 

When Itachi was nine he was training for the chunnin selection exam.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was eighteen he was a full fledged hunter. 

When Itachi was ten he passed the chunnin selection exam with ease.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When Iruka was nineteen he was the leader of Konoha's hunters. Trying to keep Kikyo in line, Yajirobi from over working himself, Washi and Amaterasu from killing each other, Tonbo out of trouble, Yuurei happy, Ookami sane, and get the Hokage to actually do his paperwork. 

He saw Itachi every once in a while, they passed each other in the streets, every once in a while in the Hokage's Office, a couple of mission briefings.

It wasn't until he heard a couple other ANBU members talking about him.

It was enough to spark Iruka's legendary curiosity.

So he checked on him.

And he was intrigued, and frightened.

So he watched.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was twelve Itachi was invited to become the sole student to the current leader of the Konoha hunters. 

It wasn't until nearly a year later that he learned exactly who his sensei was.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was thirteen Itachi was the full fledged student of Ippiki-Ookami, leader of the Konoha Hunters and a fast rising star in ANBU. 

When Iruka was nineteen, he spent sixteen hours a day trying to keep Itachi from killing everyone, five hours trying to get the Hokage to work and train him, two acting as a hunter-nin, and one alternating between sleeping and waking up screaming from nightmares.

It was during the summer of his nineteenth year that Iruka first began to see the signs.

Signs of Itachi's discontent.

Signs of Itachi's attachment to Iruka himself and to Kikyo, to whom he was both lover and fiancé.

The lingering touches, the seeking out, the silent shadow; by the end of the year Itachi spent sixty percent of his time with Iruka, twenty with Kikyo, and the rest by himself.

Within a week of Iruka realizing this each of the other eight hunters had come to him with worries about the boy they'd taken under their wings. Kikyo had come to him in tears, something that almost never happened; worried that she'd have to kill him if things kept going the way they were.

Iruka adored him, Itachi was his only student, confidant, brother of his soul in ways no one else could understand.

He was clay that Iruka could mold to his hearts content.

When Iruka was twenty he watched Itachi when he was thirteen become a captain in ANBU.

And he knew it was the beginning of the end that within a year it'd all be over.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

When he was twenty and Itachi was fifteen, Iruka watched him walk away, covered in blood and darkness.

* * *

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

* * *

….diwedd…

I am really interested to hear what people have to say about this fic, especially the style and flow.

The end might seem a bit off but this fic is meant as a side fic to Knock on Wood Konoha.

Please tell me your opinions.

There are several more coming out so I would like to hear what you think!


End file.
